American juvenile justice system

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Description:

History

The first juvenile court was established in 1899 in Chicago as a byproduct of the Progressive Era. Before this, anyone under the age of seventeen who committed a crime was placed in the same system as adults. However, by this time, social views had begun to change. With recent discoveries and research by psychologists, many started to see juveniles as youths who had simply lost their way, rather than as hardened criminals. It was believed that with proper structure and disciplinary guidelines instituted, a youth could be rehabilitated and become a productive member of society.

The qualifications for what designates a The focus of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate juveniles, rather than to imprison and punish them. Many states, such as Massachusetts, have special courts set aside to try juvenile. Others, such as Colorado, have courts that deal with juvenile cases in addition to regular ones.

In many states, such as Massachusetts, juveniles, upon arraignment, enter a plea of "delinquent" or "not delinquent", rather than "guilty" or "not guilty." The purpose of this is to establish that they are different from a regular criminal.

minor involved in criminal proceedings. Juvenile court cases are usually decided upon by a judge, rather than by a jury.